Harrison Cann

Four for Friday: Philadelphia weekly roundup SEPTA gets a bump while “intoxicating substances” are on watch

Philadelphia weekly roundup: SEPTA gets a bump while “intoxicating substances” are on watch www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

Where to find chip thrills in Pennsylvania A bite-sized look at the state's rich history in the snack space

Pennsylvania’s pantry is home to plenty of big names, like the chocolatiers in Hershey and the specialty soft pretzel-makers in Hanover, but the commonwealth has a lot more to offer in the snack department. www.cityandstatepa.com/personality/...

Where to find chip thrills in Pennsylvania A bite-sized look at the state's rich history in the snack space

Snack time in PA: Utz and Snyder’s of Hanover planned a merger in 2009 before the effort was halted after an antitrust inquiry; the feds got salty about a potential pretzel monopoly threat. www.cityandstatepa.com/personality/...

Gov. Josh Shapiro talks faith, family and fundamentals of basketball with Jay Wright Shapiro’s book tour stopped at Villanova for a sit-down with the former Wildcats basketball coach.

If there’s one thing a candidate needs to check off their list before running for president, it's to go on a national book tour. 

And if there’s one thing Josh Shapiro and Jay Wright have in common, it’s a love of basketball. 

Those two collided at Villanova www.cityandstatepa.com/personality/...

Capitol offenders: Efforts ramp up to bar pols from stock trading Members of Congress have long profited from being able to trade on information the public doesn’t have access to – but a coalition of stakeholders may be on the verge of evening the playing field.

My latest deep dive, this one on congressional stock trading and where the PA delegation stands: “if that’s not insider trading, then I don’t know what is.” www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...
www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

Quinnipiac Poll: Shapiro leading Garrity, showing weakness for potential prez run A plurality of Pennsylvania voters believe Shapiro wouldn’t make a good president despite positive reviews for his time as governor.

Breakdown of the Quinnipiac polling:

A mixed bag for Gov. Josh Shapiro and majority support for higher minimum wage and cannabis legalization.
www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee gives Working Families Party response to State of the Union The progressive political party chose Lee, who represents the 12th Congressional District, including Pittsburgh, to provide their response to President Donald Trump's speech on Tuesday night.

Summer Lee didn’t hold back in her response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech. www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee gives Working Families Party response to State of the Union The progressive political party chose Lee, who represents the 12th Congressional District, including Pittsburgh, to provide their response to President Donald Trump's speech on Tuesday night.

Summer Lee didn’t hold back in her response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech. www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

Pew Charitable Trusts invests $9.1 million in Philadelphia nonprofits More than $8 million will go to groups working to expand assistance programs

Philadelphia nonprofits got a Friday news dump worth celebrating. 

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced that it has awarded more than $9.1 million to 18 Philadelphia-area organizations.
www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

The doctor is in the running: Ala Stanford’s prescription to win PA-3 Stanford was endorsed by Dwight Evans, the congressman retiring at the end of his term

Inside the community health facility Stanford founded to serve the surrounding low-income neighborhoods, she made the case that Capitol Hill needs more people who have a visceral understanding of what their constituents experience – and what they need. www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

5 takeaways from new state government report on AI The report outlines a series of recommendations for AI use and adoption.

Pennsylvania’s Joint State Government Commission released a long-awaited report that outlines a series of recommendations for artificial intelligence use and adoption – and examines AI’s potential impact in the commonwealth.

Via @cityandstatepa.bsky.social

Inbox: PA’s Gaming Control Board reported that more than $59 million was wagered in the Commonwealth on this past weekend’s Super Bowl, a 41.6% decrease over wagers placed in last year’s Eagles-Chiefs matchup.

9 things to know about Josh Shapiro’s $53.3B budget proposal Shapiro revisited past priorities and eyed new goals in an hour-long budget address.

9 things to know about Josh Shapiro’s $53.3B budget proposal

Via @cityandstatepa.bsky.social

Groundhog’s Day divination City & State takes a swing at what Punxsutawney Phil could foresee for 2026

Now that Punxsutawney Phil surprised absolutely no one with his prediction of six more weeks of winter, we look at some missed opportunities for prognostication by the commonwealth’s favorite rodent. www.cityandstatepa.com/personality/...

Under the influencers: How social media is transforming campaign messaging Candidates are going out of their way to include a group of online influencers that reaches key demographics.

My latest deep dive looks at the role of content creators in modern politics.

Coverage of and access to the 2026 gubernatorial race will be much different thanks to the continued rise of social media influencers in the political realm.
www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman finally goes cold on ICE Pennsylvania’s senior senator joins congressional Democrats in calling for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s firing.

Following another deadly shooting by ICE on Saturday in Minneapolis, public outcry over the Trump administration and its handling of ICE finally made its way to the timelines of the commonwealth’s senators in Washington. 
www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

City of Philadelphia sues federal government over removal of slavery exhibits The removed plaques included the names of nine slaves who worked for George Washington

Latest: Philadelphians aren’t taking kindly to the removal of historic exhibits at the President’s House at Independence Mall.
www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

H.O.M.E. is where the heart of Philadelphia’s 2026 legislative session is Affordable housing initiatives were a focus of City Council’s first session of 2026.

Philadelphia City Council’s agenda is hitting home in the new year — they gave the go-ahead on a measure that stipulates how bond funding will move forward for Mayor Cherelle Parker’s broader housing initiative.

www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

Something worth following: Pennsylvanians For Protecting Pharmacy Access – a coalition of pharmacists, patient advocates, health care providers + others – released a map of pharmacy deserts + recent closures across PA.

Here's a look at the state's pharmacy deserts.

Philly could close 20 schools, co-locate 6, and modernize 159: Superintendent Watlington shares his facilities plan The 10-year blueprint comes with a $2.8 billion price tag, $1 billion of which would be covered by district capital funds. The rest would depend on philanthropy or state funds.

20 #PHLed schools would close, 6 would co-locate, and 159 get upgrades under the long-awaited facilities master plan proposed by Supt. Watlington today. More: www.inquirer.com/education/ph...

Mayor Cherelle Parker unveils plans for modular housing factory in North Philadelphia The announcement comes a day after Parker shared plans to redevelop an apartment complex in West Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s housing beat received a duplex of news this week, with Mayor Cherelle Parker announcing a pair of initiatives that seek to produce more affordable housing and manufacturing jobs in the city. www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2026/...

ICE operations in Philadelphia have immigration advocates on high alert Local officials and advocates continue to speak out against federal immigration policies

The Philadelphia Parking Authority said its contract with DHS and ICE “refers to a garage owned by the federal government that the PPA is under lease to manage. The PPA does not own that garage facility.” www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

‘Waiting for clarity’: Philadelphia region’s uncertain business climate tied to policy uncertainty A Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia survey finds that health care and social assistance sector are driving job growth

The Philly region’s health care and social assistance sector is up, while the rest of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s economy is “waiting for clarity,” according to findings from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2026/...

‘Waiting for clarity’: Philadelphia region’s uncertain business climate tied to policy uncertainty A Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia survey finds that health care and social assistance sector are driving job growth

The Philly region’s health care and social assistance sector is up, while the rest of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s economy is “waiting for clarity,” according to findings from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2026/...

A Q&A with Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa The Democratic leader in the Senate discusses lessons learned from last year and 2026 priorities

A Q&A with Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa on the impacts of education and energy policy, as well as his top agenda items for 2026. www.cityandstatepa.com/personality/...

Gov. Josh Shapiro kicks off reelection bid with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia events Shapiro and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, look to replicate their resounding 2022 victory in November.

Josh Shapiro and Austin Davis will be running it back in 2026: Shapiro formally launched his reelection campaign yesterday during events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

Inbox: Philadelphia is 25th in metro growth in 2025, according to U-Haul's Growth Index migration data.

The Philly region reversed the 2024 trend when it had more movers leaving than arriving.

SEPTA’s tumultuous 2025: Part II Philadelphia’s public transit system had its share of twists and turns this calendar year.

SEPTA had its share of twists and turns this calendar year.

Here's the second installment of a two-part series on SEPTA’s tumultuous track in 2025 – and how we got here.
www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

SEPTA’s tumultuous 2025: Part I Philadelphia’s public transit system had its share of twists and turns this calendar year

A look back at SEPTA’s tumultuous 2025: www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/202...

Philly City Council ends the year pushing back against Mayor Parker Council moved forward with new bond language for Parker’s ambitious housing plan

Philadelphia’s Mayor-Council relationship, and Cherelle Parker’s ambitious housing plan, hit an icy patch in December, setting the stage for housing funds to once again be front-and-center heading into 2026.
www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2025/...